25: The Landscape - Part One

The main section of Part One (bars 32-137) is built with individual strands of music that cycle within themselves. The various strands are layered upon each other but otherwise operate independently.

(Gustave Dore)

The first strand to look at is that played by the low strings, the trombones and the woodwind. When these three groups of instruments are combined it can be seen that there is no break between them, that they are performing one continuous melody. This melody increases in length with each recurring cycle as the trombones add an extra note at the beginning of their phrase. The duration of the low strings is determined by multiples of 7, 5 and 3. I have already pointed out that the woodwinds are cycling through 3+3+5, 3+5+3, 5+3+3. The strand is in two voices.

A condensed score of Strand 1 is here: Lightfall-Part-One-Strand-1

For the first half strand 1 works its way down to the open G fifth in the low strings, each time starting from a higher position of the scale by the trombones. At the point where the full scale is played (bars 85-90) new instruments are added. From bar 90 onwards the continuous melody is distributed differently with the middle strings stepping down the scale, dropping a note on each cycle. This forces the low brass onto a new note at the end of each cycle. At the point where only one note of the scale is left (a G fifth at bar 137) the section ends.

The second strand is performed by the harp, tam-tam and cymbals. It is in fact Strand 1 slowed down to half the speed. What was the low strings and trombones is here played by the harp and what was the woodwind is now played on the percussion. Being slower only half of the basic strand is performed.

The third strand is performed by the violins. This is strand 1 at double speed and in retrograde. The lower voice has been offset from the upper by a bar, thus creating a rhythmic canon and antiphonal effect. Octave transpositions further colour the strand.

The remaining two strands bear no direct relation to the above. Both the piano and the vibraphone intone their triads at great spaces of time, the vibes every 21 crotchets (7×3), the piano every 15 crotchets (5×3). The timpani was written as a continuous Bb every 3+5+7 quaver counts. It was then deleted throughout except when the low G fifth is played by the low stings.

The canon concept is picked up in the final section of Part One with the reiteration of the opening horn solo. Starting in unison at bar 141 the orchestra gradually slips into a multiple voice canon before disintegrating when the low brass enter at bar 156.

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The word “antiphonal” is all the excuse I need to link to this famous recording of music by Gabrieli, performed by the brass sections of three major American orchestras, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago: